dtgreene: *Snip*
That's actually pretty common, even in earlier JRPGs; it's just that the threat level isn't always visible. (I believe the original Final Fantasy does that, for example. On the other hand, the original Dragon Quest/Warrior does not; if it did, one wouldn't be able to avoid all encounters until the first Metal Slime encounter, even with RNG manipulation.)
TZODnmr2k5: Yeah, I remember getting to level 99 for all characters in FF 3/6 I must have had the patience of a statue to put up with the horrific grind needed to make it to that level… I still couldn't beat that giant cactrot though.
Worth noting that that giant cactror is not in the original version of the game.
Also, worth noting that the GBA additions are significantly harder than the original game (mainly because the original content really is too easy, so the difficulty increase was definitely welcome).
I remember trying the Leviathon fight ,having everybody but Gau being killed right away, and only won because Gau used Rage to access an ability that was never intended for player use.
